R372m for a Parade: “Grotesque Waste” or Vital Showcase for Crippled SANDF?

A planned R372 million military parade in Thohoyandou this month has ignited a furious debate, labelled a “grotesque waste” by the nation’s largest trade union federation while defence analysts argue it serves a vital purpose. The staggering cost for the SANDF’s Defence Force Day event on 21 February has become a lightning rod for criticism over the military’s chronic underfunding and internal decay.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) launched a scathing attack, demanding the parade be cancelled and the funds redirected to address the “extreme circumstances” facing soldiers. “Blowing R372 million on a one-day parade will take wasteful expenditure to new lows,” said Cosatu’s Matthew Parks. He pointed to soldiers in the Democratic Republic of Congo who “lost lives because of a lack of working air support and armour,” and to troops across the country suffering from one meal a day, dilapidated barracks, and inoperable equipment due to relentless budget cuts.

A Force on Its Knees vs. A “Useful” Showcase

The criticism lands against a backdrop of a crippled defence force. The SANDF has seen its budget slashed for decades, with reports of pilots unable to maintain flying hours, naval ships docked indefinitely, and army vehicles cannibalised for parts. For Cosatu, spending nearly four hundred million rand on a spectacle while soldiers go hungry is “tone-deaf” and “an insult.”

However, defence expert Helmoed-Römer Heitman offers a counterpoint. While acknowledging the sum is high, he argues that armed forces days are “useful” public and recruitment tools. Crucially, he suggests much of the cost covers essential training activitieslike long-distance troop movements, setting up field bases, and logistics drillsthat would need to happen regardless. “If you have to do that as part of training, why not use the opportunity as a showcase? That makes good sense,” Heitman stated.

He did propose cost-saving measures, such as having senior officers eat and live with the troops in tents rather than in separate, expensive arrangements, which would both save money and boost morale.

A Nation’s Security at a Crossroads

The debate cuts to the core of the SANDF’s identity and purpose. South Africa faces significant security threats, from border trafficking and illegal fishing to peacekeeping duties. Cosatu argues the money should fortify the force’s capacity to meet these real threats, not fund a “fanciful extravaganza.”

The union has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Defence Minister Angie Motshekga to scrap the event and reallocate the funds to soldiers’ basic needs and operational readiness. As the date approaches, the parade stands as a potent symbol: is it an irresponsible vanity project for generals, or a necessaryif expensiveinvestment in national pride and military cohesion for a force on the brink? The answer depends on whether you see the SANDF as a ceremonial institution or a critical security asset in desperate need of repair.

{Source: Citizen}

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